Prime Minister Gaston Browne has declared an unblemished record in defamation litigation, pledging to continue legal action against those he says have made false statements about him — with former United Progressive Party leader Harold Lovell named as his next target.
According to Antigua.news, Browne made the remarks during his weekly radio programme, where he discussed the ongoing lawsuit against Martin De Luca and associates over defamatory statements linked to the sale of the super-yacht Alfa Nero.
Senior Counsel Anthony Astaphan provided an update on the case, noting a procedural setback. While the law firm Boies, Schiller, Flexner LLP was properly served, the personal service on De Luca did not comply with legal requirements — his assistant was served instead of De Luca himself.
"One of the services of the documents was not in accordance with the rules," Astaphan said. "The firm was properly served, but the Martin De Luca one was not properly served, so we have to do it again."
Browne then turned his attention to Lovell, saying bluntly, "He is next." The Prime Minister added that he intends to donate any financial award he receives from that case, framing the pursuit as a matter of principle rather than personal gain.
"I don't want his money, but I'm going to hurt him financially," Browne said.
Browne outlined what he described as a standing policy on defamation. "They just want to defame people, destroy people's character — people's integrity," he said. "I have a policy right now; if you have resources and you defame me, I'm gonna make sure you pay and use the monies to empower the people."
The Prime Minister pointed to his defamation case against former Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer as an example, noting that Spencer paid him $30,000, which Browne said he donated in full. He indicated he could have sought a significantly larger sum.
"I could have pursued him for hundreds of thousands of dollars, but I said…in the interest of peace, I'll accept the $30,000 — all I needed was the apology," Browne said.
Browne also recalled a legal dispute in which attorney Vere Bird III, son of former minister Vere Bird II, filed a defamation suit against him. The court ultimately found the statements in question to be true and dismissed the case.
"The truth is the ultimate defense," Browne said. "If however you say things that are defamatory — things that are untrue — then clearly you are subjecting yourself to a suit and you'll have to pay for the defamation."
Reflecting on his overall record, the Prime Minister expressed confidence in the outcomes of both cases he has brought and those filed against him.
"Even when they would have sued us, we went to court, defended what we said and won," he said. "We've never lost a case, you know? Just by standing on the truth. Isn't that amazing?"
